Exploring Mathematical Identities: A Teacher's Guide to Student Self-Reflection

This past week, I have been dabbling with self-reflections as mathematicians. It has been a powerful and meaningful learning opportunity for both myself and the children in the classes I have had the chance to reflect with.

In BC, “teachers are encouraged to provide students with opportunities to reflect on their experiences both at school and outside of school and to select illustrations of their growth in relation to the Core Competencies throughout the year.” (BC Minsitry of Education)Taking a math lens to this, I was curious to see what the children would identify as their strengths as mathematicians and how they would illustrate themselves as mathematicians at this time of the year. Here is the format we followed:

Introduction:

Teacher: “Today, we are going to write about something that is super exciting to me! We are going to write about being mathematicians! I know that you are such amazing mathematicians, so I can’t wait to see how amazing your writing about that is going to be. Today we are going to think about who we are as mathematicians. For example, I’ll be thinking about who I, Ms. Jacobs, am as a mathematician. And {Insert student name} will be thinking about who {name} is as a mathematician. To help us do that, we are going to make a list of all the things mathematicians do. What do you know about things mathematicians do?”

Student: They think.

Teacher: Tell me more about that.

Student: They think if they are doing it right or not. They think about math.

Teacher: That is a good detail to add.

Continue prompting students to ‘tell you more’, really expanding on the details of what mathematicians do. Ultimately, you will finish with a co-created list of things mathematicians do. 

Invite the children to think about what idea from the list they are really good at as mathematicians. Model a stand-up, hand-up, pair-up and share your own strength as a mathematician.

Teacher: We’re going to do a stand-up, hand-up, pair-up, and it will look something like this. {High five a student} My strength as a mathematician is listening to the ideas of others. Yesterday, Mrs. Hoy and I were talking about subtraction, and when I was listening to her strategy, I realized it was a new strategy for me! I was excited to try it! Ok, think about your strengths. Stand up, hand up, pair up. Go!

Gather back at the carpet and share your blank model of writing, with a picture already completed to save time. Tell the children you will be using the 5 Finger Planner (from Adrienne Gear, Powerful Writing Structures pg. 43) to help with your writing.

• Topic (hook): My math strengths
• Detail: (Details will vary - could be an example, could be why that strength is important)
• Detail:
• One time: Tell about a time you used this strength
• Feeling: How do I feel about this?

Model your own writing, inviting input from the children. While you model, refer back to the 5 Finger Planner so that the children can see and understand how the structure can help them. See my model, co-created with the grade 3’s below.

Invite them to get started writing! As they leave the carpet, I like to ask them what they are writing about (which strength from the list) so it is fresh in their brains before they start writing (and avoids an “I don’t know what to write about” response).

Check out these examples from a grade 2 and a grade 3 class. The children had such personalized responses and great self-awareness!